CHI Health St. Francis recently added coronary calcium scanning technology to its radiology services.
Coronary Artery Calcium Computed Tomography can detect coronary artery disease before symptoms appear. Specialized imaging techniques show calcium deposits in the arteries of the heart. Calcium buildup can cause narrowing, reducing blood flow and potentially leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Cardiac calcium scoring is recommended for people with certain risk factors, including diabetes, a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and smoking.
CHI Health Saint Francis Medical Center
This simple, painless test is done using a computed tomography scan to provide valuable information about your heart health. During the test, the patient lies on a table and enters the CT machine, which takes multiple images from different angles to assess the condition of the heart.
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This scan specifically looks for calcium, or plaque, buildup in your arteries. Plaque gradually builds up over time and can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle, potentially causing a heart attack. The higher the calcium score, the more plaque detected and the higher your risk of heart disease.
Getting tested will give you a better understanding of your heath health and help your medical team develop a personalized plan for prevention and management.
Remember, early detection and intervention are the keys to maintaining a healthy heart.
St. Francis' discounted community cardiac screenings, based around coronary calcium CT imaging, will begin Saturday, Aug. 24. Discounted screenings will also be available Saturday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Dec. 21. Preventive screenings include calcium scores, EKGs, cholesterol and A1C testing to evaluate cardiac health and function and provide insight into cardiovascular health.
As a general guideline, everyone between the ages of 40 and 75 who has no history of heart disease should get a heart test. You don't need a prescription or a doctor's order to get a test.
To schedule a cardiac screening at a discounted rate, call 308-398-5700 or visit https://www.chihealth.com/services/heart-institute/heart-screenings for more information.
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